The Mail Cart: Monday, August 31st

AvA LIVE Lineup Booked In Partnership With:

Daniel Lubetzky (Shark Tank, KIND Snacks) is joining AvA LIVE this week, and I want you to join as well. Need career advice? Have a specific question? Respond to this email. I’m picking 1 more person to join the show live.

Plus

Alex Reardon, a lighting director who has worked with Tyler the Creator, J. Lo, Avicii, the Weeknd, Foo Fighters, the Jonas Brothers, and so many more.

Imani Davis who programs 1,600 film screenings a year with talent like Timothée Chalamet, Sofia Coppola, and Christopher Nolan, and founded PROOF, the only festival dedicated to proof-of-concept shorts, with alumni premiering at Sundance, Fantasia, and Rotterdam."

and…

Ben Kronengold & Rebecca Shaw, creators & showrunners of FX’s hit series Adults!

⭐ A DreamWorks Animation assistant just sold a project to HBO. The Penguin’s creator/showrunner will executive produce.

ICONIC.

⭐ California amended its latest bill about tax credits that unintentionally blocked film incentives… kind of

The state announced their $750 million tax incentive program a year or so ago to help the film industry, but recently they introduced another bill that caps companies from taking more than $5 million a year. I’m guessing you can see the problem there too.

While California did not amend that bill, they did say they will accelerate the payback period for studios that elect to refund their credits for cash.

“Under existing law, studios can choose to get cash back instead of claiming the incentives as a credit against tax liability — but at the cost of a 10% discount, with a payback period of five years. The deal will accelerate that period to just two years and reduce the haircut to 5%.”

GIRL POWER

⭐ Markiplier becomes GoPro’s largest individual stakeholder after buying 8.5% of the company

It comes right as the struggling camera maker explores a sale, and it’s another Mr. Beast-like signal for what happens when creator wealth starts betting on distressed public companies rather than just endorsing their products through cash deals or small equity stakes.

⭐ Apple TV+ says F your bank account

While Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon are pulling back on price hikes as customers are hitting their spending limit, Apple TV just raised its price anyway. Fine only $2 per month, but it’s a bet that its smaller, maybe stickier subscriber base won't push back like everyone else's.

Subscribe estimates for reference:

⭐ NBCUniversal partners with U-Next across both streaming and theme parks

U-Next is Japan’s 2nd biggest on-demand streaming platform behind only Netflix, and opens up NBCU’s platform Universal+ to a new major global market.

Our new job board features 220+ early career roles in Entertainment, including:

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Interview with Eve Plumb,

Eve Plumb is an American actress, singer and painter. She played Jan Brady on the iconic sitcom the Brady Bunch.

Our conversation is below..

AvA: Before Jan, you were a working kid actor on shows like Lassie. What was your first memory on set?

Plumb: My first memory was when I filmed a commercial for Final Touch Fabric softener. It was my first audition and my first job. I remember I had one line, and it was very hot on the stage, and I had to wear a wool sweater!

AvA: What was the set of The Brady Bunch actually like?

Plumb: Well, if you mean as a stage set, it was spacious and thoughtfully designed to represent an architect's home. If you mean the experience, it was a familiar place to learn how to perform on television-while performing on television...it was a great place to grow up.

AvA: Jan became one of the most recognizable characters in TV history. What was it like to play a character who turned into that kind of icon?

Plumb: The recognition around the Jan character has only happened after the show ended, and is in part because of revivals and parodies. At the time, my character was "one of the kids". What's great is that our fans are still so enthusiastic about the show.

AvA: How has Hollywood changed since you began your career? 

Plumb: Hollywood has always been a very competitive industry, and it still is. One thing that is different is having to be responsible for your own auditions, filming and editing self-tapes to send in. It's a big shot in the dark, because you are not able to receive feedback and adjust your performance as before, in person.

AvA: Most people don't know you've spent 30 years as a working oil painter with gallery representation, how did you build that second career? 

Plumb: So many things happen seemingly by chance. A friend introduces you to someone, someone sees a painting you've done and contacts you, and it builds if you stay with it. I love selling a painting; it's like the applause at the end of a show.

AvA: Who is someone who took a chance on you early in your career, and what would you tell a young person who feels lost?

Plumb: A children's agent moved in next door to us when I was six years old, sent me on an audition, and I got the job. I've been fortunate to continue working till today. I wish anyone who decides to come to Hollywood in any capacity the best of luck, because it isn't easy. Be careful about who you trust with your money and career.

AvA: What's the best advice about Hollywood you ever received?

Plumb: I had a publicist for "Dawn: Portrait of a Teenage Runaway", and he taught me that doing publicity is another acting job. You have to pay attention, listen, and converse in a way to get the information across. Knowing that helps when promoting a project becomes repetitive with so many interviews and appearances.

👋 See you back here on Wednesday

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